Wutan City, a Genius Dou Zhe! Please Follow! Please Vote!

Jia Ma Empire, Wutan City.

Along the uneven, age-worn stone road, a carriage bearing the flag of Myriad Medicine Hall and carrying the fresh scent of grass creaked onward. It passed stretches of artificially cleared grassland. Aside from a few large trees where passersby could rest in the shade, there were scarcely any other forests or trees around this road built through the mountains.

Qingshan Town was not far from Wutan City, but because the road was so rugged, they had to take many detours, which ultimately cost them quite a bit of time.

The carriage from Myriad Medicine Hall was not traveling alone. It followed behind a convoy belonging to a Mercenary Group.

That Mercenary Group was called the Lionheart Mercenary Group. Its leader, Lin Shi, was a five-star Great Dou Shi—a powerfully built middle-aged man who was an old acquaintance of Mr. Yao.

"Thank you, Leader Lin Shi, for escorting us all the way to Wutan City!" As they neared Wutan City's gates, the road became much smoother. At that moment, Mr. Yao thanked Lin Shi from inside the carriage.

Meanwhile, Jiang Lin sat at the front of the carriage, leaning against the wooden wall with the reins in hand. He silently watched as they rounded a bend, and Wutan City came into view before him. Compared to Qingshan Town, Wutan City was at least ten times larger. It had a huge population and a thriving economy, making it one of the true core human settlements near the Monster Mountain Range. Rumor had it that experts such as Dou Lings and Dou Wangs occasionally appeared here before entering the Monster Mountain Range in search of treasures.

A place like Qingshan Town was merely a small settlement built around its geographical advantages. Most of those who went there were monster mercenaries, with few local residents. Their average cultivation and combat strength were somewhat higher as well.

"Mr. Yao, you are being too polite. I was simply entrusted to handle some business in Wutan City, and I happened to run into you as you were preparing to depart from Qingshan Town. We were heading the same way, that's all. Besides, even if Mr. Yao had traveled alone, the wild beasts and petty bandits along the road would not have posed any threat to you!" A hearty voice came from within the Myriad Medicine Hall carriage.

Jiang Lin had only heard roughly that Mr. Yao was also a Great Dou Shi, but no one knew exactly how many stars he had. After all, no one in Qingshan Town was foolish enough to pick a fight with the highly respected Mr. Yao.

Lin Shi and the others had come from Black Rock City. Qingshan Town lay between Wutan City and Black Rock City. They were already a sufficiently powerful Mercenary Group and were actively expanding their business range, so they were rarely seen in Qingshan Town.

Lin Shi was a straightforward man. He escorted Mr. Yao's carriage all the way to an inn in Wutan City before they finally departed.

Seeing that it was still early, Mr. Yao left the carriage with an old acquaintance, then took Jiang Lin, dressed in plain black clothes, out to browse the streets of Wutan City.

The streets of Wutan City were far livelier than those of Qingshan Town. Even though the sky had begun to darken, people were lighting lanterns and preparing for the night market.

Dressed in simple azure robes, Mr. Yao led Jiang Lin along, stopping from time to time. While asking about the prices of monster materials and medicinal herbs in Wutan City, they also heard quite a few major recent rumors concerning the city.

"Did you hear? Xiao Yan, the third son of the Xiao Family, one of the three great families, successfully broke through to become a Dou Zhe at only eleven years old!"

"You're telling me? I heard he began cultivating at seven and broke through to Dou Zhe in just four years! Many people his age only have two or three stages of Dou Qi even now!"

"Do you think that young master of the Xiao Family can make a name for himself in the Jia Ma Empire with that talent?"

"Drop the question mark. Xiao Yan's talent is definitely among the best in the Jia Ma Empire! Once he rises to greatness in the future, I just hope he won't forget—"

"What a pity. I heard the young master already had a marriage engagement at an early age. Otherwise, I think my daughter might still have had a chance."

"You mean that iron barrel of a daughter who's 140 tall and weighs 140?"

"Damn it! Don't insult my precious daughter! Duel me!!"

"I never thought a genius youth like this would appear in Wutan City. Lin'er, are you interested in making his acquaintance?" As night gradually fell, Mr. Yao walked down the brightly lit street, listening to the passersby's discussions. He suddenly stopped and turned back to Jiang Lin.

"What if he's the arrogant type? Mr. Yao, are you asking me to stick my face out and get slapped?" Jiang Lin did not show much interest in the matter. However, there was one thing he cared about: that prodigy named Xiao Yan was the same age as him. Breaking through to Dou Zhe in four years... Jiang Lin estimated his own cultivation speed and felt that he could break through to Dou Zhe in two years. If Xiao Yan's cultivation speed was enough to make him one of the Jia Ma Empire's rare geniuses, then he... didn't seem like a monster the Jia Ma Empire should be capable of producing?

Though Jiang Lin possessed an adult mind, and his thoughts were sometimes made a little childish by the hormones of his young body, he was mature most of the time. Thus, Jiang Lin understood that geniuses from small places like this were more or less bound to have a bit of a "Dragon Aotian" personality. The only difference was whether they were the proactive type of Dragon Aotian or the passive type.

Passive Dragon Aotians were manageable. As long as you did not provoke them, their slaps would not suddenly curve around and smack you in the face. But if you actively triggered the conditions for their skill activation, then sorry—a smooth little combo was already prepared for you. Please enjoy.

Proactive Dragon Aotians were troublesome. Even if you hid your face beneath a blanket, they would yank it away, grab you by the collar, and slap your face over and over to complete their daily mission.

Innocent passerby: (Hugging his blanket and crying) You! Why do you have to hit my face?!

Dragon Aotian: Sorry! If I don't slap someone's face once a day, I'll explode on the spot!

"If that is how Lin'er sees it, then you do have a point." Mr. Yao seriously considered Jiang Lin's words and, in the end, actually nodded in agreement with his view.

As a true veteran of the jianghu, Mr. Yao also felt that figures such as these prodigies were normally proud and aloof. A humble gentleman was the exception.

"In that case, the Xiao Family has been holding banquets for that young master these past few days. Since we are already here, we can prepare a small gift tomorrow morning and visit the Xiao Family Mansion just to make ourselves familiar, then leave." In the lantern-filled market street, Mr. Yao crouched down to chat with a stall owner for a few moments before buying several first-tier Magic Cores.

"I never expected Mr. Yao to say something so bluntly about... social connections and worldly dealings, hahaha." Hearing Mr. Yao openly admit that he was going merely to make himself familiar, Jiang Lin could not help laughing.

Under the orange-red glow of the lanterns, Mr. Yao and Jiang Lin exchanged smiles. The warm lamplight stretched the shadows of the adult and child long behind them.

"That's how one makes one's way in the jianghu, little by little." Mr. Yao smiled gently, then turned and led Jiang Lin back toward the inn.

"Besides, Leader Lin Shi is probably here to make himself familiar as well."